HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD OF SHUTTING DOWN A NUCLEAR REACTOR USING THE SAME

摘要

A method of shutting down a nuclear reactor may include compressing a scram gas (208) that is in fluid communication with a scram accumulator (102,200). The scram accumulator defines a chamber therein and contains bellows within the chamber. The bellows (214) are configured to hold a scram liquid (216) in isolation of the scram gas (208). The scram gas exerts a compressive force on the bellows in a form of stored energy. The method may additionally include releasing the stored energy in response to a scram signal such that the scram gas expands into the chamber of the scram accumulator to compress the bellows and expel the scram liquid from the scram accumulator to insert control rods into a core of the nuclear reactor.